1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a device for crushing cans, such as beer cans, pop cans and the like more particularly, to a can crusher which is double-acting in the sense that a can can be crushed at both ends of the path of movement of a two-sided ram.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many devices have been built and/or proposed for crushing cans. For the most part, however, these can crushers are inefficient and slow in operation. The following references are known to the inventors:
______________________________________ Killough et al 3,412,675 Mc Clure 3,960,070 Heiser 3,916,780 Booth 3,983,800 ______________________________________
None of the devices disclosed and claimed in these four references alone or in combination possess the features and advantages of the devices of this invention.
The emphasis on the conservation of natural resources has provided an impetus to the development of methods and apparatuses for compacting used products for ease of disposal or for their constituent raw materials. Containers in which various products and particularly those in which beverages are packed and sold can accumulate in profusion so as to create a particularly acute problem for disposal. Yet such containers, and particularly those of aluminum, are easily recycled to reclaim their constituent raw material. Various devices have been developed to compact such containers. They are usually of comparatively large size and accordingly require the use of relatively cumbersome and expensive operative elements. Such devices have not successfully combined the capability of reliably compacting items with the ability to operate in complete safety while being of a compact size and of a cost compatible for bar or restaurant use. It has been recognized that it would be desirable to have an aluminum can compacting device capable of dependable operation without danger of injury to the operator and being of a size and cost acceptable for restaurant and bar usage.